The swap process works in the same way that you'd normally swap something. You
find something you like, you ask to swap, another ReadItSwapIt members chooses
something of yours and you exchange the goods. The only difference with
ReadItSwapIt is that the swaps are done over the internet.

Step 1 - You select the book that you would like from
The Library. Many books are available from more than one person, so
choose the person you like the look of. Click 'Swap with this member'.

Step 2 - The ReadItSwapIt member who owns that book receives an
email saying that you want to swap.

Step 3 - The other user logs onto the site and views your list
of books. If this user finds one that he or she likes, he or she will confirm
the swap. He or she can also reject the swap request at this point. If the swap
is confirmed, the other user will be able to see your postal address.

Step 4 - You will receive an email saying the swap has been
confirmed, along with the address to which you need to post the book.

Step 5 - When the books are received, each person logs on to
say they have received the book and they rate the other person.

Is there a limit to the number of books I can request?

Yes, the number of books you can request from other users depends on the amount of positive feedback you have from other users.
This is a security measure put in place to prevent abuse by users who do not have much feedback –
a little like libraries which prevent you from borrowing lots of books the first time you go there.

The rules regarding outstanding swap requests are as follows:

Number of 5-star ratings from different users

Number of outstanding swap requests allowed

0-2

5

3-9

10

10-19

20

20-49

50

50+

Unlimited

Swap requests are classified as outstanding until the member you are swapping with receives their book or the swap is cancelled.

What if my book doesn't arrive?

The ReadItSwapIt swapping process is based on a similar model to other sites
relying on person-to-person sending such as eBay and Amazon. Because both
people have confirmed they wish to swap, they have agreed to swap books with
each other.

A rating system is used so that people looking to swap books can get an
indication of how reliable the person they are swapping with is.

A member's feedback score is calculated using a "moving average". This is calculated as follows:

Take the average of all ratings except the last three

Then average this score with the last three

This means that a member's three most recent ratings contribute more to his or her feedback score more
than his or her other ratings. This allows problem swappers to be identified more quickly, and also allows
members who have had one or two low ratings to "recover" more quickly when they get some higher ratings.

What if I post my book but the other person says
it didn't arrive?

ReadItSwapIt recommends that you obtain a 'Certificate of Posting' from the Post
Office when sending your book. This entitles you to compensation if your book
goes missing in the post.

What happens if another member wants to swap with
me but I don't want any of his or her books?

There is always an option to reject the swap. So if you don't want to swap your
books with another user, you simply refuse to swap. This ensures every user
gets a book they really want.

What if I'm going to be away and can't swap books
for a while?

If you're going to be away and can't swap, you can make your books inactive.
Simply login and go to 'My Books' and select 'I'm Going On Holiday'. This will
remove the books from the library and people won't be able to request them. To
start swapping again, just log back in and select 'I've Returned From Holiday'.
This will just re-activate the books that were made inactive when you clicked
'I'm Going On Holiday'. Any other books will remain inactive. To activate all
of your books click 'Make All Active'.